Destiny says "Yes, I Care for the Homeless"


Destiny found herself homeless after her mother’s home became “overcrowded.” Her family realized it was time for someone to move out or else they would need to find a larger place to live, which they could not afford. To ease her mother’s financial burden, Destiny decided to leave home with her two children. After an unsuccessful search because she could not afford New York’s high cost of living, Destiny and her two daughters moved into a family shelter. They have been living in the shelter for three years now and receive health care at one of Care for the Homeless’ (CFH) health centers.

During one of her health center visits, Destiny learned about CFH’s Peer-to-Peer Outreach Program (PPOP). PPOP is a program created by CFH to reach out to and connect with unstably housed people, who are often hard to reach and may not have adequate access to health care. Destiny currently has a job, but says she does not work enough hours to qualify for housing through Section 8, federally subsidized housing for individuals living in poverty. To gain more work experience and find a better job, she decided to apply for PPOP. Now a CFH peer outreach worker, Destiny says the best thing about working at CFH is the fact that she gets to help other people who are in the same situation she is in. Destiny likes that being a peer is giving her valuable work experience, but what she enjoys most is that she gets to “give back.”

Destiny says she enjoys working as a Peer because she meets people who understand “how difficult it is” to be without a home. She admits that before she experienced it herself, she used to judge people who are homeless. Destiny says she now realizes that people who experiencing homelessness are just like everyone else. She wants the world to know that homelessness needs to end and she believes “people deserve homes and they deserve more than what’s being put out there in the world for them.” She says a lot more could be done to end homelessness and if less people judged others who are experiencing it, we would find a solution a lot sooner.

With your support, we will continue to advocate for policies to help Destiny and many other New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. Your gift today can change a life and make adifference.  Thank you!

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